Generation of gas



, E. s. sUFFl-:RN

GENERATION OF GAS Filed Jan. 12. 1926 l 'Iliff F19" .2. 5.1 Eeriestajz'sb Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES ERNEST SALISBUBY SUFFERN, FMONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PATENT OFFICE DOUGLAS TOLLEEACHE, 0FLONDON, ENGLAND GENERATION 0F GAS Application illed January 12, 1926,Serial No. 80,821, and in Great Britain January 12, 1985.k

T'his invention relates to the generation of as by the process whichconsists in subject;-y

ing fuel and air to reactive heat in a zone of partial combustion. Theterm fuel is emplo ed in this specification to designate all kin s ofpulverized fuel A such for example, as powdered coal and coke and allkinds of liquid fuel such for example as crude petroleum and all othertypes of fiuid such for example as colloidal mixtures of liquid andpulverized fuel.

Diiiculties are often ex erienced in such processes in preventing t edeposition of non-reacted carbonaceous material or ash within thecombustion chamber or generator.

Theoretically carbon deposition can be avoided when oil fuel is used byensuring that the fuel is completely gasiied without coming into contactwith the interior surfaces of the generator. In practice this wouldnecessitate the employment of a generator of comparatively large sizeand the maintenance therein of a sufiiciently high temperature. Where itis desired to react an amount of fuel relatively large to the combustionspace employed it is extremely difficult if not impossible to operate sothat complete gasification of the fuel takes place without it cominginto contact with the interior surfaces of the 30 generator.

- The object therefore of the present invention is to permit the fuel tocontact with one or more surfaces within the generator prior to itscomplete gasification whilst at the same time hindering the depositwithin the generator of unreacted or partially reacted particles.

As a result of extensive experiments I have found that the above objectcan be attained 40 by, (l) so regulating the quantity of fuel that thevolume of gas produced and its momentum is suiicient to ensure thatdeposition of particles by gravity within the generator cannot occur,(2) establishing the fuel and air in process of combustion in abackwardly tending swirling motion by causing the air or gas stream andsome or all of the unreacted or partially reacted paticles to contactwith one or more suitably disposed surfaces within the generator.

The above mentioned backward tendency in the motion of the fuel and airin rocess of gasification may be produced by giving to the same asuitable vortical swirlin motion at some point or points in its pat oftravel through the generator. v

The production of this swirling motion may be effected in various ways.For example a vortical swirling motion may be establishedv by causingthe incoming stream of fuel and air to spread outwardly and to contactAfirst with the side or lateral walls of the generator from which thestream in process of gasification is defiected onto the opposing endwall. As a result the stream is caused to turn in on itself towards thecentre of the generator. Or the stream of fuel and air may be caused tostrike against one or more suitably shaped and positioned bailles withinthe generator. It may thus be established in a backwardly tendin swirleven in operations wherein its genera path of progression may bemaintained in a generally forward direction.

With the use of low pressure air of ap-A proximately fourteen inches ofwater, I have been able to produce heated gas in the quantity of 7.65times the volume of the gas generator per second and at this rate ofroduction I have found that deposition of t e particles by gravity doesnot occur.

l The swirlin motion established in accordance with this lnvention mustnot be confused withthe progressive spiral or tangential swirlheretofore imparted initially to the fuel stream as it is projected intothe gasification chamber as such swirling stream, besides beingunsuitable for the purpose of the present invention is employed solelyfor the purpose of increasing the effective path which the uel cantravel within the gasification cham- A process for the generation of gasaccording to the present invention consists broadly in projecting fueland air into a gasification chamber in such quantity that the volume ofgas produced and its momentum is sufficient to ensure that deposition ofparticles by gravity within the gasification cham- Vber cannot occur andin establishing the fuel and air in process of gasification in abackwardly tending swirling motion by causing the air or gas stream andsome or all of the unreacted or partially reacted particles to contactwith one or more surfaces within the gasification chamber.

It is desirable in process according to this invention to establish thefuel in a finely disseminated state. In fact it appears from myexperiments that the reduction of the fuel particles to as small a sizeas possible before subjection to reactive temperatures is of muchgreater importance for effective operation than the maintenance of hightemperatures at the point of admixture. For various types of pulverizedfuel the recommended flneness is that of the usual specification vim-95%to pass 100 mesh and 85% to pass 200 mesh. In the case of liquid fuel,such as oil, the establishment of the liquid particles as a very nemist, with a certain amount of vaporization of the lighter constituents,greatly facilitates eective operation.

In order that the invention may be carried into practice the same willnow be described by way of example by aid of the accompanying somewhatdiagrammatic drawings which illustrate a suitable form of gas generatoradapted in one instance for burning pulverized or powdered fuel and inthe other instance for burning oil and other liquid fuels and in whichFig. l is longitudinal section of the generator adapted for burning oilAand other liquid fuels and Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same type ofgenerator adapted for burninfr pulverized and powdered fuels.

lhe gas generator or partial combustion chamber A illustrated in whichthe internal 'diameter is preferably half the internal length is ofcylindrical cross-section, the injector B being arranged co-axially. Thefuel entering from the relatively narrow pipe B1` at the top of theinjector B in process of gasification takes approximately the pathindicated by the arrows, the same being projected first against the sideor lateral surface C from whence it is deflected onto the opposing endwall D. The air is adapted to enter from the relatively wide pipe B2 atthe bottom of the injector. As a result the fuel land air in process ofcombustion are established in a backwardly tending swirling motion. Theparticular swirl established by the means illustrated is a vortical orinturning swirl which causes the hot products of partial combustion toturn inwards towards the centre of the generator and thence to travel ina returning direction towards the front wall E of the generator, thusintermingling with the incoming fuel and air and gasifying the samebefore passing out through the gas outlet orifice F which is at ri htangles to the axis of the enerator and 'sposed in that 55 portion of t egenerator nearest to the injector. In the generator for burning powderedand pulverized fuels which is shown in Figure 2, the injector B usedonly consists of the pipe Bs having a nozzle B* through which thepowdered fuel is projected by means of the primary air.

In operating according to this invention the quantity of fuel flowinginto the generator is essentially such that the volume of gas producedand its momentum is sufficient to prevent the deposition by gravity ofparticles of fuel within the generator.

As an alternative to the method of establishing the swirling motionabove described the swirl according to this invention may be establishedby providing one or more inwardly projecting baffles not shown withinthe interior of the generator, the faces of such baffles which opposethe incoming fuel and air stream being suitably curved to produce thedesired backwardly tending effect. By arranging more than one baffle orset of bailies in tandem the swirl may be established at differentpoints throughout the length of the generator.

The swirl according to this invention may also be established bysuitably shaping the interior surface of the generator.

In addition the fuel and air may be introduced into the generator in apreviously established swirling motion of the progressive spiral type inwhich case such spiral swirl may be established by any of the presentstandard methods therefor.

Facilities may be provided for continuing reaction beyond the outlet bythe employment of refractory material and other means as may be founddesirable.

In operating according to this invention the temperatures employed atthe point of admixture of the fuel and air may be varied according tothe requirements or type of apparatus and the point at which theadmixture is commenced. Either or both of the constituents of combustionmay be preheated by suitable means to any requisite temperature.

Suitable ignition or heating equipment for the preliminary heating ofthe generator prior to its use for gas production may be also provided.For this purpose, according to one form, a pilot Haine may be utilizedto ignite the fuel introduced together with means for modifying theratio and quantities of fuel and air introduced so that complete orpractically complete combustion may be secured and a rapid heating ofthe chamber secured thereby.

Any alternative method of preliminary heating may be used, for example,oil being substituted for pulverized fuel or, if desired, thepreliminary heating can be effected electrically or by other suitablemeans.

As soon as the gas generator is raised to a temperature approximately600 C. or at such higher initial temperature as is desired, the

ratio and quantities of fuel and air necessary for conversion to a fixedgas may be modified by the provision of separate controls for both theair and the fuel supplies.

When desired, any part of the'heat in the uncooled exit gases may beemployed for generating or superheating steam and also, if desired, forpreheating the fuel and for the endothermic heat absorption inthereaction with steam of any carbonaceous materials whether containedwithinthe product gases or separately therefrom; for example, steam maybe admitted, at or close to, the gas outlet F shown in Figure 1 andsubjected to reaction with carbonaceous materials by means of the heatof the gas into which it is introduced and the heat radiated from theadjacent refractory walls.

Provision may be made in any suitable way and at any selected point forthe enrichment of the gas by means of an oil spray or otherwise and forthesubsequent fixation of the gases or vapors so generated.

Satisfactory results are obtained in the operation of this process bythe establishment o conditions in which, within a second or a fractionof a second, there is effected an introduction of fuel and air into thegenerator, their subjection to reactive conditions while in activemotion, their conversion, and the withdrawal of the product gases.

These conditions, however, are not prescribed as essential and undercertain applications of this rinciple and certain forms of reactionzone, t e time employed in this cycle mav be considerably extended.

` en the process according to this invention is employed for theproduction of a fixed combustible gas, the ratio of air to fuel can becontrolled to produce the minimum quantity of carbon dioxide and thehighest practicable percentage of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, andhydrocarbon ases.

When desired, t e generated tgases may be subjected to further treatmentor the elimination of any non-gaseous articles commin led therewith,such as y the use of scru bers or by electrical precipitation or bystatic filters (not shown).

In operations where the as is to be emplo ed for the heating o furnacesand oi ers and where prior cleaning is not essential, they may bedirectly admitted to such furnaces or combustion chambers for thecomplete burning therein of the gas generated by this process.

Modifications ma be made, however, in the type of generator ereindescribed and the mode of operation to permit of the complete andcontinuous combustion of fuel therein and the employment of heat thusgenerated for any use ul purpose.

Claim:

A rocess for nerating combustible as,

whic comprises eating a small combustible gas generator to a temperatureof about 600 C., injecting thereinto a conical stream j signature.

E. S. SUFFERN.

